Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Tuesday called on the international community to push for a political solution to the conflict in Libya.
Speaking at an African conference discussing the Libyan crisis, Sisi said the African Union nations are the most capable side to support Libya and eradicate terrorism, and the most side keen to maintain stability in the North African country and unify state institutions.
“Our meeting today comes in response to our common responsibility to support the stability and unity of Libya and its territorial integrity, and to protect it from the dangers of terrorism and the ongoing foreign interventions over the past years,” stated the Egyptian president, the current president of the African Union.
Sisi emphasized the necessity of enabling Libya’s national army and police to perform their role in maintaining the safety and stability of the country, which in return will help stabilize Libya, calling on the international community to bear its responsibility to guarantee the start of the political negotiation process between the different Libyan sides.
Egypt hosted a number of African leaders for emergency talks on the updates in Sudan and Libya, as Sisi warned against “a slide into chaos.”
“The Libyan people have faced many hardships during the past period, which depleted their resources and capabilities,” he said.
Meanwhile, the forces supporting Libya’s internationally recognized government in Tripoli pushed back troops of the Libyan National Army (LNA) to more than 60 kilometers southwest of the capital, Reuters reported on Tuesday.
The LNA, which is allied to a rival government in eastern Libya, mounted an offensive on Tripoli almost three weeks ago, but despite heavy fighting last week it has failed to breach the city’s southern defenses.
